Apple's iPad mini to start at $329, go on sale Friday

SAN JOSE (Reuters) - Apple Inc (AAPL.O) will sell its new 7.9-inch "iPad mini" for $329 and up, higher than some industry observers had expected.

The company, which hopes to beat back rivals such as Google Inc (GOOG.O) and Amazon.com Inc (AMZN.O) with their $199 seven-inch tablets, said online sales will begin on Friday and shipments start a week later.